mendous slashes, off came a branch with a crook. He crooked down a bough and gathered the nuts ; there were eight on that bough, and on the next, four, and on the next, only two. But there was 5 another bough beyond, from which, in a minute, he had twenty more. He could not stay to crack them, but crammed them in his pocket and ceased

to count.

66

'I will take fifty up to the squirrel,” he said. 10 So he tugged at the boughs and dragged them down, and went on from tree to tree till he had gone very far into the nut-tree wood.

At last the thought came to him again that he would like to get out. So he stroked a knotted 15 oak with his hand, smoothing it down, and said, "Oak, oak, tell me which way to go."

The oak tried to speak; but there was no wind, and he could not. He dropped just one leaf on the right side, and Bevis picked it up, 20 and as he did so, a nut-tree bough brushed his cheek.

The bough could not speak, but it bent down towards a little brook. Bevis dropped on one

knee and lifted up a little water in the hollow of his hand. He drank it, and asked which way

to go.

The stream could not speak, because there was no stone to splash against; but it sparkled in the 5 sunshine and looked so pleasant that Bevis followed it a little way. Soon he came to an open place with twisted old oaks, gnarled and knotted, where a blue butterfly was playing.

Show me the way out, you beautiful creature," 10 said Bevis.

"So I will, Bevis," said the butterfly. "I have just come from the field where your father is at work. He has been calling you, and I think he will soon be coming to look for you. Follow me, 15

my darling."

So Bevis followed the little blue butterfly. Without pausing anywhere, but just zigzagging on, the butterfly floated before Bevis, and Bevis danced after him, the nuts falling from his 20 crammed pockets. Presently he whistled to the butterfly to stop a moment while he picked a blackberry; the butterfly settled on a leaf.

Then away they went again together till they left the wood behind and began to go up the hill. There the butterfly grew restless, and Bevis could scarcely keep with him. The child raced as fast 5 as he could go uphill, but at the top the butterfly thought he saw a friend of his, and away he flew.

Bevis looked around. Everything was strange and new to him. There were hills and fields on every side, but not the field where he had 10 left his father. There was nothing but the blue sky and the great sun, which did not seem far off.

While he wondered which way to go, the wind came along the ridge, and taking him softly by 15 the ear, said, "Bevis, my love, I have been waiting for you ever so long. Why did you not come before?"

"Because you never asked me," said Bevis.

66

Oh, yes, I did. I asked you twenty times in 20 the woods. I whispered to you from the nut

trees."

66

Well, now I am come," said Bevis. where do you live?"

"But

"This is where I live, dear. I live upon the hill. Sometimes I go to the sea, and sometimes to the woods and sometimes I run through the valley; but I always come back here. And now I want you to romp with me."

"I will come," said Bevis. but are you very rough?"

"I like a romp;

“Oh, no, dear; not with you." "I am a great big boy," said Bevis. soon get too big to romp with you. are you, you jolly wind?"

"I shall

5

How old 10

The wind laughed and said: "I am older than all the very old things. I am as old as the brook."

"He 15

The brook is very old," said Bevis. told me he was older than the hills; so I do

not think you are as old as he is."

"Yes, I am," said the wind.

"He was always my playfellow. We were children together."

66 If you are so very, very old," said the child, 20 "it is no use for you to romp with me, for I am strong. I can carry my papa's gun on my shoulder, and I can run very fast."